Why Do PC Insulation Panels Crack And Age? Understanding The Main Reasons Boards Fail

PC insulation board has the advantages of good thermal insulation, impact resistance and convenient processing. It is widely used in internal isolation and protection of control cabinets, electromechanical equipment and new energy equipment. However, in practice, many users may encounter yellowing, brittleness, surface cracking, edge cracking and so on. Once cracked, it will damage the insulation barrier, easy to cause leakage of electricity, short circuit and other electrical safety hazards. Many people simply blame poor product quality, but in reality, cracking and aging of PC insulation boards is the result of a combination of materials themselves, environmental conditions, processing and installation. Only by understanding the root cause of the fault can the damage to the circuit board be reduced and the long-term safety of the electrical system be ensured.
The defect of raw material quality is the underlying cause of premature aging and cracking of sheet metal. Cheap PC insulation boards on the market is heavily mixed with recyclable waste, with ingredients mixed in and molecular chains damaged. There were small hidden cracks and impurities. The toughness of the original PC plate is very strong, while the toughness of the regenerated plate itself is greatly reduced. Even if there are no obvious problems during the first installation, brittle cracking can occur after a period of vibration and temperature changes. In addition, some products lack anti UV and anti hydrolysis modification agents. Even when used indoors, it accelerates oxidation and yellowing, causing the material to become brittle and crack under light stress.
Environmental erosion accelerates the deterioration of plate performance. High temperature is an important factor affecting PC plate. Electrical equipment continues to dissipate heat during operation. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can lead to thermal oxidation aging of PC materials, damaging their molecular structure, resulting in yellowing, increasing hardness and decreasing toughness of the plates. If the temperature difference in the environment changes repeatedly and violently, the hot expansion and cold shrinkage will cause continuous stress inside the plate, which will eventually lead to stress cracks. In humid conditions, PC materials undergo hydrolysis reactions, which causes the strength of the plate to decrease. Ultraviolet radiation can also damage the surface structure of the plate, causing powdery, fine lines to crack. This is especially true in outdoor working conditions.
Improper processing can bury the potential for late cracking. While PC insulation boards can be cut, punched and slotted, mishandling can cause internal damage. When drilling, the drill drill bit speed and feed speed too high will form micro-cracks around the drilling position; the tool blunt, impact force is large, leaving small cracks in the edge of the plate that are not visible to the naked eye. These initial cracks will not appear at first, but under the continuous action of vibration and temperature change of the equipment, the crack will gradually expand and eventually develop into a noticeable crack. Many of the field failures were caused by damage left over from previous treatment.
Improper installation and assembly can lead to stress concentration and cracking. During installation, the screw is locked and the plate hole position is subjected to excessive pressure. Under the action of long-term vibration, radial cracking is likely to occur around the orifice, and the forced bending and alignment assembly the plate will produce internal residual stress and crack during stress release process. At the same time, if the equipment continues to vibrate during operation and the plate is subjected to external alternation for a long time, fatigue damage will occur, toughness will gradually dissipate, and eventually fracture will occur.
Chemical corrosion is also a cause of failure that is easily overlooked. PC materials are resistant to common oils, but stress cracking may occur after exposure to organic solvents, detergents and some lubricants. During maintenance and repair, if a strong solvent is used to wipe down the surface of PC insulation, the solvent can penetrate the material and quickly induce silver lines and cracks. Although the appearance does not change much, the thermal insulation and mechanical properties have been seriously damaged.
Taken together, the cracking and aging of PC insulation boards are not caused by a single factor. Poor quality of recycled raw materials, hot and humid UV environment, incorrect processing methods, assembly stress, chemical corrosion, etc., can accelerate the failure of plate. If you want to extend the service life, it is recommended that you use domestic modified high quality plate, standard operation during processing, avoid excessive locking during assembly, and avoid organic solvents. Periodically inspect the circuit board for yellowing or fine lines, replace aging parts in time, avoid leakage and short circuit caused by circuit board damage, and effectively maintain the safety line of electrical equipment.